European Union vs United States of America: General government final consumption expenditure
General government final consumption expenditure over time
- European Union
- United States of America
How they compare
European Union currently reports 4.59 trillion current US$ against 3.99 trillion current US$ in United States of America, a difference of 600.40 billion current US$.
That makes European Union's figure about 1.2 times United States of America's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was United States of America ahead.
European Union ranks 13th and United States of America ranks 1st of 43 groups.
European Union has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 304.47 billion current US$ | 285.94 billion current US$ | 18.53 billion current US$ | European Union |
| 1980s | 731.20 billion current US$ | 665.27 billion current US$ | 65.92 billion current US$ | European Union |
| 1990s | 1.52 trillion current US$ | 1.13 trillion current US$ | 386.43 billion current US$ | European Union |
| 2000s | 2.34 trillion current US$ | 1.92 trillion current US$ | 418.94 billion current US$ | European Union |
| 2010s | 3.17 trillion current US$ | 2.65 trillion current US$ | 524.69 billion current US$ | European Union |
| 2020s | 3.81 trillion current US$ | 3.58 trillion current US$ | 239.41 billion current US$ | European Union |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher general government final consumption expenditure, European Union or United States of America?
- European Union, at 4.59 trillion current US$ against 3.99 trillion current US$ in United States of America as of 2025.
- What is the difference in general government final consumption expenditure between European Union and United States of America?
- 600.40 billion current US$, with European Union ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and United States of America?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do European Union and United States of America rank globally for general government final consumption expenditure?
- European Union ranks 13th and United States of America ranks 1st of 43 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as General government final consumption expenditure (current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
Final consumption expenditure is expenditure on goods and services by resident institutional units for the direct satisfaction of human needs or wants, whether individual or collective. General government FCE includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees), and most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.